


What about the other Cephalopods?

by Kia619



Series: Angstgent 24 [8]
Category: Splatoon
Genre: F/F, Female Agent 3 (Splatoon), Female Agent 4 (Splatoon), Female Agent 8 (Splatoon), Filler Episode, First Dates, JUST A WHOLE BUNCH OF FLUFF, Lesbian Cephalopods (Splatoon), Mutual Pining, Octopi & Squid, Post-Octo Expansion DLC, Post-Splatoon 2, Trans Female Character, Updates on sunday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:48:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25225573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kia619/pseuds/Kia619
Summary: Agent 3 and Agent 8 need some time to themselves to recover, so why don't we check on the other Cephalopods and see what they're up to?
Relationships: Agent 3/Agent 8 (Splatoon), Agent 4/Marie (Splatoon), Callie/Dedf1sh (Splatoon)
Series: Angstgent 24 [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1466896
Comments: 22
Kudos: 45





	1. Marie gets a phone call

Marie and Callie arrive home, they’d just been out doing patrols to make sure Octarians weren’t making a move to try and free Octavio again, which of course they weren’t. They knew better than to try, and he knew better than to let them anyways. Especially with everyone being so on-edge as a result of the recent events regarding Agent Three and Kamabo, so Octavio is, for now anyways, being respectable. 

“Ugh, I swear these patrols are getting more and more tedious with each passing day” Callie thwumps herself down on the couch, tossing her shades onto the coffee table. She was still dressed in her agent gear, as was Marie, but given how long the day was, they both wanted a chance to rest a little before they actually got into their comfortable clothes. Besides, their agent gear wasn’t exactly uncomfortable either, so they had no qualms leaving it on for a while.

“Well if things keep going the way they are, we might finally be able to be a bit more lax in our patrols… there hasn’t really been much octarian activity outside of the domes lately, it’s possible that the rebels are gaining ground.” Marie idly states as she takes off her face mask and puts it in a bin to be washed, also taking off her hat and hanging it on the hat stand and letting her tentacles down. “Ah that’s better!”

“That would be nice, maybe we’d finally be able to do normal Inkling things like… finding someone to date.” Callie chuckles, looking straight at Marie with a smirk. She knows EXACTLY who her cousin has a crush on, and she knows for a fact she hasn’t acted on it. Callie tried being subtle with her before but now she feels like she has to be more blunt about it, otherwise Marie might never actually get a date. She keeps the look fixated on Marie, and when she notices it, Marie just makes a confused look in return, raising her eyebrow slightly.

“What’s got you so smug?” Marie takes her jacket off now and hangs it up as well before going over to her recliner and plunking herself down on it. She gives her cousin this confused stare that Callie simply becomes more smug from seeing. Marie’s expression becomes more confused, before suddenly Marie actually registers what Callie said, and she fully understands the look her cousin is giving her. Marie’s expression shifts from confusion to flustered, her face warming up and being tinted green by her ink.

“You like her! Ask her out!” Callie says, trying to build Marie up so she’ll actually do it. Callie could see the way her cousin would look at their fellow agent, and the fact that Marie very obviously thought highly of her. Callie had yet to figure out why her cousin hadn’t just bit the bullet and asked her out. But whatever it was, Callie was sure that the explanation wouldn’t be good enough.

“I-I… N-No! I can’t do that!...” Marie blushes hard, averting her gaze from her cousin for a moment. While it’s true her feelings are there, it would feel wrong if she just went and asked her out! At least in her own opinion. Marie has her reasons, and she’s set in them, and as a result, she’s going to be incredibly difficult and refuse to change her stance on the situation at hand.

“Why not! It’s obvious you like her! Just ask her!” Callie prods, continuing to try and egg her cousin on. She knows they’d be good together and she just doesn’t understand. She wants to see her cousin happy and she knows that Marie’s been needing companionship that isn’t just familial. While Callie is always happy to spend time with her cousin, she knows Marie needs more than just her in order to be truly happy.

“Because! If  _ I _ ask her out, I’m afraid she’d feel like she HAS to go out with me! I don’t want her to go out with me because she feels like she has to! I want her to do it because SHE wants it!” Marie huffs, and then blushes hard as she realizes she’s just aired her own feelings so freely. But she’s sure of herself, her reasoning makes sense to her, even if it’s a bit unfair to Jay and also to herself. She figures at least she’s being unfair to the both of them, which somehow  _ makes _ it fair.

Callie was, understandably, a little shocked. She hadn’t really expected this answer out of her cousin at all. Back when she herself and Alex had a little fling Callie had no problems asking her out, it just never really went anywhere. Callie was more than happy that Alex has found Kiaria now though, they’re really good for each other. But Marie and Jay would be really good together too! 

“Marie… What if she wants to try a relationship with you and she’s just too intimidated by who you are to ask?! Sure back when you two met she had virtually no clue who you were but she knows now! Maybe she’s scared because she thinks you’re so much higher than her!” Callie tries her best to explain, but she was never the ‘give a pep talk’ type. She hopes she can at least get Marie to consider just going out for coffee or something with Jay. She isn’t really sure how to do it but she’s determined to. Callie hopes her explanation will at least make Marie soften up a little so Jay can actually have a chance. “So many fans put us on this pedestal that makes us seem unattainable to them, that’s why dating in general is so hard for us! Pearl and Marina cheated the system by not being related so they can just date each other.” 

Marie rolls her eyes and chuckles at the last quip. While sure it is convenient that Pearl and Marina can just date each other, Marie doesn’t have that luxury. Marie is pretty sure their relationship started prior to their career taking off anyways. No, Marie likes Jay, and she has to find some way to get the girl to ask her out. Maybe she could drop some hints that she’s interested? Well, more than she’s already been doing. Unfortunately Marie is set in her mind that she can’t be the one to ask her out, Jay has to be the one to ask Marie out. Marie feels like her reasons are justified, but she does at least understand where Callie is coming from.

“Look, Cals, I know you’re trying to help. But the reality is… you can’t change my mind, or the way I feel about this. Jay has to come to ME. Tell you what, if she asks me to go out for coffee or to get a schwaffle or something of the sort that is sort of a date but not really, at the end of it I’ll ask her for another “date” okay? Does that satisfy you?” Marie says to Callie, just trying to get to the part where she can relax and go back to not thinking about how cute Jay is or how she seems to fit so perfectly into that hero outfit or… dammit stop that Marie!

“Humph… fine, you’d better find out how good of a kisser she is on that first date though, nothing seals a first date like a good kiss!” Callie chuckles, thinking back to the handful of first dates she herself has had. As well as the one time it went further than just the kiss on a first date… but that was partially because Alex had saved the Great Zapfish so it was technically part of her reward for it. Oops now Callie is reminiscing.

Marie rolls her eyes and is about to offer up a retort, but in that exact moment, Marie’s phone begins ringing! Marie fumbles a little, being moderately startled by it as she reaches to her pocket to take out the cellular device and find out just which cephalopod has decided to attempt to reach her using it. Much to her surprise, it’s Jay! Marie doesn’t usually answer the phone, especially not for anything that isn’t work related, but something in her gut tells her this is an important call to take, so she answers it and holds the receiver up to her ear.

“Hello? Four- I mean… Jay?” Marie answers, blushing a little from using her agent number at first instead of her name, but it's a force of habit. So many of her interactions with her are all business, she hopes that maybe she could start spending more casual time with her, maybe that would be a good start. She clears her throat and hopes that Jay doesn’t mind the little mix up, she is genuinely happy to hear from her, she even blushes a little from hearing her voice through the receiver.

“Hey Marie… uh… I’m beautiful, wanna go on a date?” Jay says through the phone. Marie wants to be shocked that Jay has actually asked her out, but thankfully, the little mixup with the pickup line was enough to keep her in the moment, it was honestly funny enough for her to giggle at, and blush a little harder from as well. Well she’s got her wish, Jay’s asked her out! Marie can’t help but be overjoyed, she’d secretly been hoping for Jay to make this exact phone call for so long! Since around when Alex and Kiaria got together actually. Now she has to figure out how to proceed without sounding like she’s been waiting for this for ages. 

“I would’ve said ‘cute’ but I guess beautiful works too… and, I’d be honored Jay.” Marie says, smiling so hard it comes through her voice. She’s even started playing idly with one of her tentacles since it’s hanging freely at the moment rather than being up in the usual bow. She seems quite happy at this moment.

“Uhhh… uhhh… uhm…” Jay stammers for a moment, Marie could tell Jay hadn’t expected to succeed in asking her out so easily, but Marie wasn’t going to play ‘hard to get’ for any reason, especially because she wants to go out with Jay too. Playing hard to get would just make everything frustrating. Finally after a few moments, Marie can hear Jay speak again, it seems she’s finally gotten over the initial shock. “Uhh… How about a walk through Inkopolis park? Say around eight so we could catch the sunset?”    
  
“That sounds lovely Jay, I’ll be at your place around seven thirty so we can make it to the park by eight. See you later! *click*” Maire quickly ends the call because she needs to SQUEAL with excitement! Callie, who had just watched the whole thing unfold, was just chuckling and smirking. Marie rolled her eyes at her again, and then went right back to being excited. After a few moments of being an excited cephalopod, Marie realizes something, something she hadn’t thought of when she agreed to the date. “Shit I need to dress up so I look good… but not TOO good, I don’t want to overdress… but still I should wear something kinda nice?”   
  
“Marie, whatever you wear, she’s going to think you look beautiful, so don’t stress too much. But if you want my suggestion, don’t go in a dress, go in something semi-formal still, but just not a dress.” Callie smiles, she’s genuinely excited for her cousin, she really hopes the date goes well, and something in her gut is telling her that Marie should wear something other than a dress.

“You think so? I guess that makes sense. Alright I’ll go see what I have… I think I’ll leave my tentacles down though, I think she’ll like them like this. Plus I’m less likely to be recognized without having them up like normal.” Marie smiles and gets up off her recliner, heading over to her room to find something to wear for her date. Something tells her this is going to be a night to remember.


	2. A walk in the park

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jay and Marie finally have the chance to spend some time together, and to get to know each other as more than just co-workers.

Jay was, understandably, very excited right now. She was about to go on a date with the girl she’s had a crush on for ages! She was waiting by her front door for Marie to either text or call or buzz or something to indicate she was here. Jay had made sure she was cleaned up and dressed up, but not too dressed up, so that she could make a good impression on this first date. Jay wasn’t entirely sure what she should expect but she was ready for anything. Sure enough after a few moments of waiting, the buzzer buzzes, meaning she has a guest! Jay goes over to it and presses the speak button so she can confirm the identity of her guest.   
  
“Hello?” Jay’s excitement was palpable, it was audible even through the intercom down to the main floor. She hoped it wasn’t too obvious that she’d been waiting for this moment for the better part of a few years, but nonetheless, she was still very happy that Marie said yes. She was bouncing a little bit as well, but she was trying to calm herself down, she doesn’t want to embarrass herself after all.

“Hey Jay, it’s me! Can you let me in?” Marie’s voice called clearly through the speaker and Jay’s hearts fluttered. Jay quickly presses the door open button and lets Marie enter the building. She should’ve maybe said something before unlocking the door, something like ‘sure come on in!’ but she was too nervous and excited to think properly. Now all she had to do was wait for the knock on her apartment door. Now that the moment was so close though, she found herself fidgeting a little more than she expected, maybe this was a bad idea, she’s not ready for this!   
  
*Knock Knock Knock*

It’s too late, Marie is here, Jay is dressed up and ready to go. She has to just swallow her nerves and go for it. Surely everything will be fine right? They’re friends at least so they’ll get along, they have similar senses of humor and they enjoy a lot of the same media, so there’s compatibility already outside of the fact that they both find each other attractive. Okay, she can do this, she defeated DJ Octavio, she faced down countless Octarian soldiers, she can handle one date with her crush, right? Right, okay, she’s opening the door.   
  
“Hey Ma-” Jay can’t even finish her thought, Marie is dressed so stunningly that it stops her brain in its tracks. She’s wearing a black button down shirt with a matching black tie, and also a black pair of dress pants. To cap it off, her hair isn’t up in its usual bow, but rather hanging down, a black ponytail elastic keeping the two long tentacles together so they don’t flop about TOO wildly. 

“Hey Jay!” Marie gives a warm smile, and then she notices Jay’s sundress and blushes immensely. Marie would argue that Jay is the better dressed of the two, but Marie is very glad she didn’t wear a dress to this, the only dresses she has are her Squid Sisters dress, and some overly formal ones. Sure it would be a good option if they were going to an expensive restaurant for dinner or something, but that isn’t at all what they’re doing. They’re spending time together and watching the sunset, and if things go well, maybe they’ll share a kiss or something. “Oh wow, you look… stunning!”

“I-I uh… th-thanks! You look absolutely gorgeous, I mean you always do but like, especially right this second.” Jay fidgets a little and blushes, giving Marie a sheepish smile. Jay hopes her words aren’t off-putting, she’s trying her best despite her nerves. Fortunately, Marie’s response is simply to giggle a little and blush herself.   
  
“So uh, you said you wanted to go to the park?” Marie knows it’s awkward because they’re both about to go on a proper date with the person they’re crushing on, so she decides to at least TRY and keep things going somewhat smoothly. Marie isn’t going to hold anything against Jay, especially not after the girl finally managed to muster the courage to ask her out! Upon hearing Marie’s words, Jay perks up and quickly shakes her head, getting her mind back on track.

“Yes! Yes that’s right! Sorry just had a bit of a panicked moment because my gods you look so amazing” Jay blushes like a dork and smiles, clearing her throat and finally feeling like she’s ready to actually go on the date. She knows that the only way for this to go smoothly is for the both of them to work together, so she starts by trying to do just that, to get Marie’s input on the plan of action so they can make the evening perfect together. “Okay! So uh, oh gods uhm… do we like… hold hands and walk to the park or?”   
  
Jay was very new to dating and it was very clear. Marie found her inexperience adorable, plus it meant that her own lack of experience wouldn’t be a hindrance. She and Jay could figure out the whole “dating” thing together. Marie simply extends her hand out to Jay, allowing the Inkling to hold it so they could walk hand in hand down to the park. Jay swallows her nerves and finally reaches her hand out and gently places it in Marie’s. Both of them feel their hearts skip a beat and their blushes grow brighter. Finally they give each other a smile and start heading out, Jay making sure to lock the door behind them before finally making their way out to the park.

“Woah, Marie look at the lake!” Jay is mesmerized as the sun begins dipping over the horizon, turning the sky into a beautiful mix of colors, and the ripples of the water on Inkopolis lake making them dance. Marie giggles softly from how cute the Inkling is, but she has to agree, it is quite beautiful. In fact, she’s been so busy for so long that she hasn’t really HAD a quiet moment to admire the sunset for quite some time.

“Heh, you’re right Jay, much like you, the lake is quite beautiful this evening.” Marie purrs softly and moves to be a little closer to Jay as they walk through the park, hand in hand. Jay blushes harder at Marie’s comment, before also giggling softly. 

Eventually, they find themselves sitting on a bench, still holding hands, and watching the sun slowly dip beyond the sky. Marie scoots a little closer silently, their legs now touching. Jay blushes but says nothing, not wanting to scare Marie off. Marie lets out a soft yawn, and gently lays her head on Jay’s shoulder. Jay gasps audibly, she hadn’t expected things to get to this point at all. Okay to be fair she didn’t expect the date to happen either but still! She turns her head to look down at Marie, and Marie turns to look up at Jay. Marie gives her a soft smile and Jay smiles back, the both of them blushing like two dorks in love.

Jay doesn’t know what to do, she glances to the horizon, but then goes right back to looking at Marie, who does the same. Marie sits up a little, looking Jay in the eyes as the world around them darkens and the moon rises into view. Their noses are centimeters apart and both of them have racing hearts. It’s Jay who makes the first move, inching a little closer, testing the waters. When Marie returns the motion, Jay decides to go for it. Jay leans closer, her eyes falling closed and her lips pursing slightly, only to be stopped by the soft touch of Marie’s own lips against them. Jay’s brain fires up and tries to make her panic and back away, but Marie was too quick, she’d put a hand on the Inkling’s face and was making sure to show affection, to show that yes, yes she wants this too.

Resigning to not have to fight with her mind over what she wants and what is acceptable now, she leans her body closer, putting a hand on Marie’s hip, continuing the soft kiss. Marie on the other hand, opts to keep caressing Jay’s head, rubbing her ears a little as well as gently stroking her tentacles. Jay was very glad she’d taken the time to wash them now. Marie seemed enamored by them, so short compared to her own but so feminine in their own way. That was something Marie admired about Jay, she was a girl who knew how to use what she had. There were already no secrets between them, they’d had plenty of moments when they’d shared life stories, often when they were back trying to rescue Callie. Marie would tell a story of her past with her cousin, and Jay would tell a story of her own. They knew so much about each other, and finally, they knew the other’s feelings.

Jay was the happiest Inkling in Inkopolis that night, though Marie might argue it was herself. Any onlookers would just see two Inklings in love, sitting on a bench and sharing a tender moment with each other. In all honesty, with how well they knew each other, it felt almost like they’d been dating for at least several months already! Maybe that’s why things moved as quickly as they did. Whatever the case was, there was two Inklings, being cute, and the sky was getting darker and darker by the minute.

Eventually, the pathway lights came on, allowing anyone still in the park to see well enough to make their way along the pathways back to the city proper. This was when the kiss finally broke, and the two squids stared at each other with a loving expression, a very obvious blush, and the two dorkiest smiles any cephalopod had ever seen. 

“Your uhm… your lips are very soft.” Jay comments, trying to make some form of small talk to break the silence. Which works to a degree, as Marie giggles and pecks her nose softly in response. Jay blushes harder from the nose kiss, and her smile widens as well as Jay begins purring softly, which Marie finds absolutely adorable.

“As are yours Jay, worth waiting for in my opinion.” Marie blushes and purrs, scooting a little closer, their legs now squishing together slightly from the proximity. She then felt Jay’s hand in her own shifting slightly, moving from grabbing on to it to intertwining with it, the fingers slipping between each other and becoming one unit woven together.

“You uhm… you don’t have to wait for them anymore though, if you w-wanted more I mean.” Jay blushes and tries to subtly hint that she wants more kisses, though she realizes it’s obscenely blunt and she smiles sheepishly after the words leave her mouth. Jay hopes Marie appreciates the attempt at subtleness, or at least appreciates the bluntness. Much to Jay’s delight, Marie giggles again, leaning a little closer.

“You’re cute.” And then Marie presses their lips together once again, this time there was a bit more passion behind it. Marie had moved her hand from Jay’s head to now hold on to her waist as well, pressing firmly into the kiss and making sure Jay was enjoying it. 

Enjoying it Jay was, more than that even, Jay was loving it! She had been dreaming of a moment like this for so long and here it was, and she was making damn sure to get everything she could out of it. But she also wanted to make sure that MARIE was getting enjoyment out of it too, and the constant purring of the pop star was enough proof that she was doing something right. Jay’s hand moves to Marie’s back, where it begins drawing circles gently, prompting more purrs from Marie and making Jay smile and feel rather proud of herself. They remain in their embrace as time fades into unimportance, all that matters is the person they’re with, and the blossoming love they both feel.


	3. Something's fishy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callie gets a visitor while Marie is out on her date with Jay.

Marie and Jay had made their way back to Jay’s apartment, the sun having long since left the sky. They sat on Jay’s couch with a show playing on the TV, though neither of them was actually paying any attention to it whatsoever. No, they were too busy sharing yet another kiss. I think it’s officially safe to say these two like each other, quite a bit. But not too far from the two blossoming lovers, back at the Squid Sisters’ shared apartment, there was a visitor for Callie. 

The buzzer was rang and the strange figure waits for a response. No voice spoken from either side, the door simply buzzes electronically, telling the figure they’re allowed entrance, and so they step inside the building and make their way towards the correct suite. They moved silently and kept their hood up, not wanting to draw attention to themselves. Fortunately it was late, so most people were asleep by now, or at the very least they were held up in their suites doing their own things.

Finally, they reach the suite, and knock on the door. Slowly the door comes open, and the figure walks inside, the door closing behind them. The lights remain dim inside of the apartment, in fact the light that was given off seemed to flicker like a flame. Upon closer inspection, the figure finds that the observation was correct, as the only sources of light at this moment were candles that lined certain strategic areas to give off the most light without being a fire hazard. And then, the figure saw…  _ Her. _

“Hey there lovely.” Callie’s voice calls out as she steps towards the figure and pulls their hood down, revealing the head of the very Octoling who’d protected Three until Eight could save her. Dedf1sh stood there blushing, though the blush was only visible on the left side of her face, as the right side cheek was still the old sanitized green. Her mind control was all but completely gone, but it seems that her scarring is permanent. That said though, her freckles are coming back and some are even managing to surface on top of where her skin is still green.

“Hey Cal, uhm… th-thanks for inviting me over, it’s always good to see you!” Dedf1sh replies, giving Callie a good look over. The girl was dressed up quite nicely, wearing a long black dress that went to the floor, with reflective accents in the threads which were matched to her own usual pink ink color. One might reasonably assume that she was far too dressed up for being at home, but the candles and the visitor might give a hint as to why it’s appropriate.

Dedf1sh drops her cloak to the ground, revealing her own outfit. Callie has to pause and blush because she was not expecting such a cleaned up look. Dedf1sh was rocking a full suit, it was black and had a white blouse under the jacket, with a black tie on to tie it all together. Ded smiles sheepishly as she watches Callie eye her over. She’d gotten this suit just the day before, it was tailored specifically for her and it looked absolutely stunning.

“Woah, you clean up real nice!” Callie blushes and giggles, stepping closer and putting one of her hands on Ded’s waist. The pair of cephalopods stare into each other’s eyes and blush, they’d been sneakily seeing each other ever since Alex went into the hospital, and things were starting to heat up. Callie figures Marie will probably be out the rest of the night with Jay, so it’s the perfect opportunity for a private, in-home date.

“S-So do you Cal, uh, should we maybe get to the d-date part of the night?” Dedf1sh blushes a little harder, smiling sheepishly and drawing a giggle from Callie. Callie simply nods and leads her date to the table where a simple but elegant dinner is prepared. It seems Callie knows her way around a kitchen quite well. Sitting on the table is a pot of spaghetti with some sauce, it’s simple but it looks very tasty. 

“Try not to get any sauce on your suit, but any you get on your face I’ll be sure to help you clean up.” Callie winks at her date and giggles, blowing a kiss in her direction. They’d only been doing this for about two weeks, they’d clicked almost immediately and had been spending a little bit of time with each other between doing some collaboration music at a studio, and doing things like what they’re doing tonight to get to know each other better. But Callie didn’t want rumors to start spreading, at least, not until she was absolutely sure their relationship was going to work out. So that’s why all the secrecy. That, and it’s also a little fun to sneak around Marie like this.

“R-Right…” Dedf1sh blushes at Callie’s words, taking her seat as Callie does the same. The two seem comfortable in each other’s company, but also like they were still unsure how to act. For Dedf1sh, it was mainly because she was new to the surface, and even then had spent most of her life as a mindless drone. She learned quickly though, she picked up Inklish incredibly fast, but Callie knew enough Octarian to fill in the gaps as well as a result of her time with Octavio. 

Callie had actually made it a point to keep her Octarian fresh, to make sure she was keeping it in her mind so if there ever arose a situation of an Octoling wishing to reach the surface, she’d be able to help them by being able to communicate with them in their native tongue. She had a very Inklish accent when she spoke Octarian, but as Dedf1sh put it, that just makes it more enjoyable to hear. Callie’s Octarian was part of how she and Ded hit it off so quickly as well, since the formerly sanitized Octoling had very little knowledge of the Inkling language, only a few passing remarks. She knew “This way!” and “Booyah!” which, in all honesty, probably accounted for 75% of what Inklings say, at least the ones going into battles anyways.

Callie serves up a couple plates, putting one in front of the Octoling and one in front of herself, giving a soft smile as the two began slowly eating their food. She’d told Marie to text her when she was planning on coming home so that she and Ded could make themselves scarce, Callie was planning on just saying something like “got invited to a friend’s place, gonna sleep over, there’s spaghetti in the fridge if you want some!”. Which technically would be true, Ded had no issues inviting Callie over. But the main thing there was… friends felt like too weak of a term now, they were growing to be something more rather quickly. But for now, the two would just enjoy each other’s company, and the food Callie had prepared.

The two couldn’t help but admire each other. Callie found that Ded’s scarring combined with the ocean of freckles on the unscarred skin was absolutely gorgeous. It gave character, and told a story, while also letting her natural beauty shine through still. Dedf1sh couldn’t help but stare into Callie’s eyes, the unique Cuttlefish pupils were golden, just like Callie herself. She also appreciated Callie’s physique, she was strong enough to do whatever she wanted, but doesn’t have big bulky biceps or anything of the sort. Just a simple, beautiful Inkling.    
  
  


After a short while, the food is consumed, and the pair are sitting awkwardly on the couch right next to one another. They’d been all flirty earlier but now, now they had to figure out what to do. They could put on a movie, but they didn’t know when Marie was going to be back, and they didn’t want to commit to something like that just yet. They could get a bit frisky if they really wanted to, it wouldn’t be their first time being touchy-feely. But once again, when was Marie coming home? Callie didn’t like the fact that they couldn’t really decide on anything until after they knew what Marie’s ETA was, but what could be done? Well they could just go back to Ded’s place, but Ded liked the Squid Sister’s apartment better, more spacious. They really thought they’d be completely unable to do anything, but then as luck would have it, right when Callie was about to suggest something to pass the time, her phone dings with the preset sound for Marie.

\--

Marie: Hey Cals, don’t wait up for me, gonna spend the night at Jay’s.

Callie: Ohhhh! Okay! Have fun Mar! But not too much fun, we still need her able to do agent work after all ;)

Marie: Har har, night Cal   
  
Callie: Night!

\--

“Oh… my gods…” Callie looks up from her phone with a gigantic grin on her face, accompanied by a large blush as well. She could hardly believe her luck! She had already assumed the night would end with Marie and Jay getting a little more familiar with each other, but she wasn’t sure if that would end at Jay’s apartment or theirs, and for some reason she assumed it would be theirs. But luck was on her side, and Marie would be out of the apartment until tomorrow morning at the very least. “Ded, dear, we have the apartment to ourselves all night!”   
  
“A-All night?” Ded blushes hard, her hearts racing as she imagines what such a thing could mean. Maybe tonight she’d finally… no that was taking it too far, she had to keep her expectations realistic. But still, she was hoping this meant she could stay the night, in Callie’s bed, snuggled up to Callie. Judging by the smile and blush on Callie’s face as well, the Inkling was quite on board with this idea as well.

“Mhm! All night! Marie’s gonna spend the night at Jay’s!” Callie beams with excitement as she bounces a little, inching closer to the Octoling. Callie’s hand lands on Dedf1sh’s thigh, and the both of them blush as they both glance between the hand and each other’s eyes. Then they just lock eyes, staring intently at each other. They lean closer, the distance between them falling from inches to centimeters, and then to millimeters, and then to nothing as their lips touch and the world fades from their minds, and all that matters in this moment is the Cephalopod they’re now kissing.

Dedf1sh’s hand finds its way to Callie’s waist, and Callie returns the gesture. They scoot their bodies closer together as the kiss deepens. Callie brings her other hand up and cups Dedf1sh’s face as they continue kissing each other. Callie’s blush warms her face, her fingers gripping Dedf1sh’s hip tighter and pulling her closer. They were both cooing softly and they both were very excited, with Marie remaining out of the house for the rest of the night they had the entire evening to get familiar with each other. Actually, speaking of getting to know each other. Dedf1sh breaks the kiss after a moment.

“C-Cal, wait… I-I need to tell you something… something about me I only recently remembered.” Ded says with a nervous blush on her face. She didn’t want to break the kiss, but this was important, something that wasn’t going to change much, but it was also going to change everything.

“O-Oh? What is it?” Callie shuffles a little to listen, wanting to show she’s being supportive. She isn’t sure what to expect but she can tell it’s important to Dedf1sh, and she wanted to make sure she did everything she could to show her support, especially because she wanted this relationship to work out.

“M-My name… it isn’t… actually Dedf1sh… I mean, it has the number one in it, that should really be a giveaway…” Ded chuckles awkwardly and tries to keep the mood positive, despite how nervous she is about what she’s saying. She hasn’t revealed this information to anyone, and Callie would be the first person to hear it spoken. “M-My actual name is… Mizuta Ahato”

Callie has to stop, and then she blushes extra hard. She’s a little shocked, she wasn’t sure what to expect, but the name was so cute! It was wonderful and it suited her so well. While Dedf1sh was a wonderful stage name, and would look good on albums, it wasn’t a good personal name. Mizuta Ahato was a much better personal name, a name that suited the Octoling that owned it.

“Your name… is absolutely gorgeous!” Callie beams and giggles again, leaning closer to Mizuta. The Octoling was unsure how to react. She was blushing hard, and smiling, she was very happy that Callie likes her name. This evening was really going to be good now, because Callie was leaning right back in for another kiss, which Mizuta was very eager to return. The two Cephalopods spend more time than they’d care to admit locked in this embrace, but eventually, Mizuta did get her wish of getting to sleep in Callie’s bed. There were just a few less clothes involved than she’d envisioned.


	4. Inklings and French toast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jay and Marie have wound up spending the whole night together! What kind of shenanigans will the morning bring?

The sun slowly rises into the sky, bathing the earth in its light and causing all manner of creatures to begin arising from their slumbers. One such creature is Marie Cuttlefish, who’s being awoken by the sun right in her eyes. Normally she’s not up until well after the sun is, but today the sun decided to be a jerk and directly wake her up. She groans and puts an arm over her eyes to keep the sun out of them, though once she does this she begins wondering why the sun is even in her eyes at all. She’d made sure her window had blackout curtains on them to avoid this exact issue. Slowly Marie lowers her arm and opens her eyes, now that they’ve adjusted to the light, she finds that she isn’t in her room at all!

“Wh-Wha?” Marie feels confused for a moment, but then, she hears the gentle snore beside her, and everything starts making sense. She remembers the evening she’d spent with Jay, how they’d somehow managed to get into a cheap fast food place before they closed to get cheap ice cream cones and fries to dip in them. She remembers how they’d wound up in Jay’s apartment, on the couch. They’d put a movie on that they’d both seen and promptly paid exactly no attention to the movie and all of the attention to each other. In fact, Marie thinks her shirt was still over the arm of said couch. Wait a second, if her shirt was on the couch, and she was currently  _ here _ … 

Marie looks down at herself and blushes HARD. She realizes her current state of dress, or rather lack thereof, and remembers even more tiny details about the night prior. Jay had truly shown her an amazing first date, Marie couldn’t deny that. She hopes Jay had as much fun as she did, because that was easily one of the best nights she’s had in years. After a moment of being flustered beyond belief, she smiles and then leans over, giving Jay a soft kiss on the cheek as she goes to get out of bed. She then makes her way over to the bathroom and flicks the light on, looking herself over in the mirror to check for anything that may be amiss. Marie has to do a double take upon seeing herself, stepping closer to the mirror to make sure she isn’t just seeing things, sure enough she’s able to confirm… she’s covered in hickies. From her neck, all down her shoulders, and even on her… oh my. Marie was a little shocked, she hadn’t realised just how intense things truly got between her and Jay… and also that Jay seemed quite content taking the lead once she wasn’t nervous anymore. Marie couldn’t help but smile and blush at how Jay had gone from so nervous and reserved to so confident and forward once she’d been given a bit of reassurance that Marie was more than happy to be spending time with her. 

Marie sighs and giggles a little, Jay really was the girl for her after all. She was everything Marie could’ve hoped for. From how she made her smile, to how she made her laugh… to how she made her moan. Marie felt very lucky indeed that Jay shared the feelings Marie herself helf. But right now, there’s another issue at hand, she needs to get dressed, lest her body entice Jay into wanting another go. Not that Marie would complain about that, she just has a tour to prepare for so she has to get back to hers and Callie’s apartment at some point. Marie realizes that she could offer Jay the chance to come with them now! After an evening like that, Marie feels like she has to repay Jay for how amazing it all was. Besides, Jay had done the most difficult part, asking her out, Marie just wants to make sure Jay sees it as worth it.

Marie had to get dressed now, she couldn’t keep stalling like this. Getting dressed was usually something she wouldn’t think much of, but right now, she had a brilliant idea in her head, and it made her blush and smirk a little. She walks over to Jay’s wardrobe, making sure the Inkling was still asleep, and slowly but surely she digs through to find something appropriate to wear. She has to blush as she sees a handful of “Team Marie” shirts hanging on clothes hangers. Jay hadn’t been in Inkopolis during the Callie vs Marie Final Splatfest, so that means she’d gone out of her way to obtain these. Marie was flattered. Normally a partner that already had your face printed on t-shirts prior to starting dating would be a big red flag, but these were publicly available for a while, so really, Jay was just showing her support and admiration for Marie by going out of her way to ensure she has at least a few of them! 

Marie settles on a simple t-shirt with a graphic of a super sea snail on it, and a pair of bicycle shorts. Sure it’s not a flattering look, but they’re Jay’s clothes, so this is basically top tier flirting. Something she found interesting was the fact that she herself was the first one awake. Usually Callie was up by like six in the morning, and then she didn’t get up until closer to ten or noon unless she HAD to be up early. Marie takes a glance at the clock, sure enough it read 11:37am. Well, there’s something her and Jay also had in common then, night owls that love sleeping in. This also meant that they'd likely have the livingroom to themselves at her and Callie’s apartment, since Callie often went to bed early. Though they wouldn’t get TOO spicy there, not while Callie was home anyways.

Marie heads into the kitchen, she wasn’t a master chef or anything, but she could make a mean pancake. Or did Callie say the pancake was being mean to her stomach? Eh, doesn’t matter, she’s not gonna make pancakes. She’s gonna raid Jay’s fridge and pantry and make sure she has everything she needs to stay healthy, and also some snacks. Basically Marie wanted to make sure Jay was taking care of herself, she was already worried about the girl, but now she could actually do something about those worries, unlike before when she’d just watch her amble into certain doom equipped with nothing but a hero shot. Marie was sure Jay was capable of taking care of herself, she’d been quite reliable as an agent after all, surely that must translate to her living as well. 

Marie was… sort of right.

She looked through Jay’s cupboards and fridge and quickly found one thing that was certain… Jay was the embodiment of chaos. Or at least, organized chaos. She could tell things were placed with purpose, some things had a spot that was used for them so often there was a “that thing” shaped wear pattern in the area it sat in. But Marie was more than a little shocked. Jay’s wardrobe and room as a whole were much more put together than the kitchen, but then again, Jay probably spends more time in there than she does in the kitchen. The way everything was placed made sense for a “I need to grab something quick and I don’t care if it’s squished or not.” Kind of thought process. Which Marie supposed she couldn’t fault Jay for, but she absolutely WOULD pester her about it. She had to, especially now that they were dating!    
  
After taking inventory of Jay’s kitchen, Marie finally decides to actually try making something so when Jay wakes up they can have food together. Marie decides to try her hand at french toast. There were plenty of ingredients available, and Marie had a recipe pulled up on her phone, she could do this! She just had to believe in herself, and hope that the forces of the universe didn’t plot against her. Much to her surprise, things start out really well! The batter gets mixed together without a mess, the pan preheats without catching fire, and the bread doesn’t spontaneously turn to dust! Then, when it came time to cook them, Marie managed to somehow not turn the french toast into charred remains! They’re a little dark but they’re not burnt!    
  
“Hell yeah! I got this!” Marie smiles, proud of herself for doing this correctly. Breakfast foods were never her strong suit because… she was almost never awake in time FOR breakfast, and any time she was, she would be going on tour and would just grab something at the airport. So this was a fun change of pace for her! She piles up the french toast, smiling wide and dancing a little as she finishes up cooking.

Jay awakes to… the smell of french toast? That was odd, she never woke up to the smell of food, she lived alone after all! But when her eyes open, and she sees the covers pushed off from one side of the bed, and a little indentation on the mattress… She remembers everything, and then smiles and blushes. She was happy things had gone so well, hoping that this meant she and Marie could actually be… a thing! So now, Jay gets out of bed, donning a random shirt and a pair of shorts to make herself decent, and she leaves the bedroom with a dorky smile on her face as she sniffs the air for the scent of the french toast.

“Mmm! That smells delicious Marie!” Jay comes up behind her and gives her a hug, kissing her neck softly. Marie blushes and squeaks a little in response, Jay not quite noticing Marie’s attire. Jay then leans up and kisses Marie’s cheek as well, smiling at her partner. “Though not as delicious as you, I think.”   
  
Marie blushes and giggles, rolling her eyes at Jay’s compliment. She turns to face her properly, showing Jay that she’s wearing  _ her _ shirt and shorts right now. Jay, upon noticing this, has to take a moment to blush hard. Marie giggles after having taken some control back from the girl, leaning up and pecking her lips softly.   
  
“You’re cute, you know that? Now, let’s eat, I’m not ready for our date to end just yet.” Marie smiles warmly, pecking Jay on the lips one more time, before turning to the food and carrying it to the table along with a couple plates and other silverware for them. Marie was telling the truth, she DIDN’T want this date to end at all! Jay had shown her such a good time so far, and she was very eager to keep the good times rolling. Jay wants to be helpful so she gets the syrup out of the fridge, garnering a weird look from Marie, but it’s how her family did it, and she’s not gonna change family things! 

“Thank you Marie, you didn’t have to do this.” Jay smiles, sitting at the table excited for her meal. While yes, she did just say Marie didn’t have to do this, she wasn’t gonna deny that she’s very happy she did. Jay rarely eats when she wakes up, she usually grabs something very small and then heads out the door. But with Marie here, that meant she didn’t have to rush, she could take her time, and she could enjoy the company of the girl she had been crushing on for so long. 

“True, but I wanted to! Especially after you showed me such a wonderful time last night! Both before and… after… we got back to your apartment.” Marie giggles and blushes, causing Jay to do the same. Marie didn’t seem to mind the love marks on her neck and shoulders right now, but she’s sure they’ll be covered up at the very least for the upcoming tour. Probably even before she goes back to the apartment she shares with Callie too, just so there aren't any awkward questions regarding the marks that Jay had left on her  _ girlfriend’s _ body. 

“Heh, glad you seem to have enjoyed it as much as I did!” Jay giggles, blushing like a dork and smiling wide. Soon after, they’re both digging in to the food. Marie surprised herself with how good said food was, it was astonishingly delicious! Jay also seemed to be enjoying herself quite a bit, was she moaning? Yes she was, she absolutely was. Marie considered herself an expert on Jay moans now, and the girl was absolutely moaning from the taste of the food. This first date had gone so incredibly well, there was no way either of them would forget it anytime soon, especially since their relationship was only just getting started.


	5. Bigger fish to fry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jay walks Marie home after a wonderful date

Jay and Marie had planned to head back to Marie’s apartment after having “breakfast” since Marie did have to start getting ready for the tour, and Jay was going to need time to pack as well, though Marie still hadn’t dropped that she planned to bring Jay along. Marie kept waiting for the right moment, then resigned that it would either happen when Jay dropped her off at her apartment, or she could do it over text since then it could link to digital tickets that Jay could keep on her phone. They had a lot that they needed to get done so they needed as much of the day as they could get, they couldn’t afford to get lost in each other’s eyes right now, they’ll have plenty of time for that later.

So the date wound up lasting until the next evening, and the sun was now setting over the horizon. Jay and Marie just didn’t want to stop being in each other’s company. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end. Marie and Callie have a tour coming up soon, and Marie needs to prepare for it. Jay insisted on walking Marie home though, partially because she wanted to spend more time with her, and partially because she actually just wanted to go for a walk anyways, she loves fresh air. Marie and Jay walked hand in hand, slowly towards Marie’s apartment which she still shares with Callie. Jay had been there all of twice before, once when Marie left her phone in Octo Canyon and Jay needed to bring it back to her, and another time when Callie did the same thing. Jay wonders if maybe Callie had done it just to get Jay over to the apartment because she’s pretty sure Callie has been on to both of their feelings for a long time now.

“This was really nice, we should do this again.” Jay comments, blushing and smiling cutely. She glances between Marie and the setting sun in the distance, something about the way the evening gave way to night made her calm. Marie giggles and gives Jay’s hand a soft squeeze, followed by a tender smile and a kiss on the cheek.

“We absolutely will! I mean, you’re my girlfriend now after all!” Marie smiles softly and blushes herself, it sounded so nice to finally be able to call Jay her girlfriend. She’d been toying with the idea of it in her mind for so long it almost didn’t seem real, she kept thinking that at any moment she was going to wake up and the entire thing won’t have happened. But that moment never came, and Jay was still smiling and holding her hand. Marie felt lucky, she felt like maybe things might get better now. Alex and Kiaria had been through enough bullshit for more than their entire lifetimes, between both of their Kamabo experiences, to Alex’s scar, to Kiaria’s memory issues, they’d been through enough. From what Marie heard, Jay had some issues in the early days too, namely with her biological mother, but evidently she’d not been heard from in years, and Jay seemed very happy about that.

“Geez, hearing you call me your girlfriend… it’s nice, I didn’t think I’d ever hear you say it, and yet you did! And I get to say it too! You’re MY girlfriend!” Jay giggles and blushes, squeezing Marie’s hand this time. They both stare into each other’s eyes and smile, giggling occasionally as they walk. Then they stop walking, finding a park bench to sit at for a while, not quite wanting the evening to come to an end. Jay leans in close and Marie leans the rest of the way, their lips meeting once again as they both coo and hold each other’s cheeks.

After a few moments, the kiss is broken, and the two squids just lovingly look into each other’s eyes, holding each other’s cheeks. The sun was slowly setting behind them, Jay knew she was going to end up walking home in the dark, but she didn’t mind, she’d rather spend this time with Marie. Besides, she’s an AGENT after all, she can take care of herself. Marie didn’t like the idea of Jay being by herself outside after dark, Jay was plenty reckless during missions, but she knows she can handle herself, she’s proven competent many times, including the time she somehow hit a graplink while falling through the air without even looking. She proved it wasn’t a fluke by doing it three more times in a row because she would then miss the easy jump and need to re-spawn. So instead, Marie simply decides to enjoy this. She wants to enjoy this moment of being intimate with her girlfriend before she has to go home and do her pop star job.

“Today and yesterday have been nothing short of magical, between you saying “yes” when I asked you out, to everything that’s transpired since… it’s all just a dream come true. You know I never told you this but… part of the reason I followed you into that questionable sewer grate all those years ago was because I wanted to know why someone so beautiful as you was heading down a place like that. I had to know for myself what was up.” Jay chuckles and rubs her neck awkwardly, admitting that she has basically had a little crush on Marie since before they even met.

“Oh, so THAT’S why you had such a confused look on your face when you came through!” Marie giggles and kisses Jay’s cheek softly. Marie has to admit, she didn’t think too much of Jay when they’d first met. Sure she thought the squid was cute, but her mind was absolutely not on the attractiveness of the squid in question, she was more interested in getting Callie back from Octavio. But then, once Marie could appreciate the agent a little more, she found she admired more than her can-do attitude and her overwhelming determination. Marie was definitely admiring her other… assets… once the dust settled and Callie was freed.

“Heh, I’d been in Inkopolis for maybe two days, hadn’t even done a single battle yet, and I found myself following an Inkling I don’t know down into a sewer. If it hadn’t worked out so well I’m sure Alex would’ve thwaped me upside the head.” Jay chuckles softly, thinking about her cousin, and how much she cared about her, and how much the opposite is true as well. She really hopes she recovers quickly, she deserves to be happy.

“She doesn’t have much ground to stand on there, since that’s exactly how SHE became an agent too. Except it was gramps that recruited her. I can’t remember if he told her about the Octarians  _ before _ or  _ after _ she jumped down the sewer grate in Inkopolis Plaza, but either way, she still followed him.” Marie chuckles, thinking about how absurd their recruitment strategies seem to be, and yet how effective they also are. Jay and Alex were both very capable in their own right, it makes sense that they were raised together. 

Jay snorts, trying to contain a laugh. She knew there was a reason Alex hadn’t told her the whole story of HOW she became an agent. There was always the little detail left out about HOW she became one, and there it was. Marie giggles a little which doesn’t help Jay trying to stifle her laugh, but after a few moments, they both give up holding it back and just laugh loudly, not caring what anyone else thinks, they’re having fun!

“Oh my GODS! Dammit Alex!” Jay snorts and laughs hard again, causing Marie to also laugh just as hard, they couldn’t help it! They’d been having so much fun together that anything that got them giggling would KEEP them giggling for quite a while. But eventually, it starts getting dark, and the streetlights come on, and both Jay and Marie realize it’s time to say goodnight, at least for now.

“Ah, I should really be getting home… I need to start getting ready for this tour and… hey wait! I have an idea! How about you come with us!” Marie beams, suddenly feeling very excited about this Tour which she’d previously only felt like she HAD to do. But now it was a chance to share the experience with Jay! Okay she’d been planning to do this for ages by now but she’s trying to make it seem like a spur of the moment thing with her excitement.   
  
“C-Come with you?! Like, as in, be with you while you’re on tour?!” Jay blushes hard, feeling more than a little excited. She’d been able to go to a couple concerts here and there, but to go with her on tour?! That sounds amazing! This deal is very fair and she’s happy to be a part of it. “I would love to!”   
  
“Great! We’ll get you backstage passes to every show, and your own hotel room in every city… Well, I say  _ your, _ but you know.” Marie winks and pecks Jay on the lips quickly, hinting that while Jay will be the only one officially registered to stay in that hotel room, she might have a visitor quite often. She was very happy about this idea, she couldn’t wait to execute it! “But unfortunately, I have to get home… care to walk me the rest of the way?”   
  
“Oh, I would love to!” Jay gets up and helps Marie stand as well, sneaking a smooch once she’s standing, the both of them giggling more and heading back to Marie’s place of residence. They walk hand in hand once more, smiling happily. Once they arrive Marie kisses Jay tenderly one final time, bidding the Inkling farewell and heading inside, leaving Jay to head home.

“I should be sad about having to say goodbye, but, I’m just too excited!” Jay says to herself as she excitedly starts heading home, she has to pack now after all! This was going to be a remarkable experience, she’d only done a little bit of travelling, it was going to be so much fun! Plus, more time spent with Marie! She expects that they’ll probably do a lot of cuddling and watching TV since she’s going to be so spent from the concerts.

Jay walks quickly, passing by Inkopolis lake. She has to stop to look out at it, normally it’s still this time of night, but now it’s got some strange ripples in the distance. She considers investigating, but all she has is a single dualie tucked away under her jacket, and no ink tank to speak of. Really it’s just an emergency thing too, she couldn’t really splat anyone with it, she’d get maybe four shots before having no ink to shoot left without an ink tank. Jay sighs, assuming it’s probably nothing, and even if it is something, she’s not equipped to deal with it anyways.

As Jay walks she notices something else strange, a little thin trail. It looks like ink, but it smells like swamp. Actually, now that she thinks about it, it smells an awful lot like the Salmonid areas she’s been sent to on her handful of shifts at Grizzco. Freelance work there could be quite lucrative if a bit sketchy. She pulls the dualie out from under her jacket and follows the trail, finding it leads behind one of the benches. Rounding the bench she spots a Smallfry, but it looks like it picked up a metal fork somewhere instead of their usual plastic spoons. Upon seeing Jay, the smallfry immediately charges at her and screams in rage. It sounds like someone took a war cry and made it really high pitched and quiet. Jay steps back, reluctantly pointing her dualie at the Smallfry and pulling the trigger, letting a few shots of ink come out, splatting the little Salmonid and the tiny fork it was holding clangs against the ground since its owner is no longer present.

“Okay that was weird, don’t think I’ve ever seen salmons inside of Inkopolis before… then again, I’m not out this late usually, maybe that’s it?” Jay tries rationalizing, but she knows she’s rationalizing, and she quickly shakes her head. “I’ll inform Sheldon, he can check up on Inkopolis’s defenses and make sure there’s no holes.”   
  
Jay then puts the dualie back under her jacket, and heads the rest of the way home. Her head is on a swivel the rest of the way, she knows Salmonids rarely travel in such small groups, there’s always a bigger fish. She was ready to grab her dualie and fire it at a moment's notice, just in case there were any bigger fish to fry, but as she got back to her apartment, no such fish crossed her path. She was calm once she got inside, but she felt much more tired once she was home than she had anticipated. Something about being ambushed by a fish the size of her foot.

“This better not become a thing, too much has happened, we just need a break.” Jay says to herself as she makes her way to her bedroom. She’d pack in the morning, right now she just wanted to pass out. She’d figure out what was going on and why there were Salmons in Inkopolis another day, right now she was just going to sleep.


End file.
